With rain expected throughout Southern California, residents should prepare for wet and cold weather through this weekend and into early next week.

The rain and mountain snow will affect communities from Ventura and Los Angeles, to Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside counties.

The National Weather Service is forecasting rain beginning as early as Friday evening, with rain expected to begin in earnest on Saturday afternoon. Rains could last into Tuesday. The storm could also bring cold and snow to mountain communities, in some places at elevations as low as 3,500 feet. This can make conditions treacherous for those traveling mountain passes.

Southern California Edison (SCE) reminds its customers to stay safe and to never approach or touch a downed power line or anything in contact with it, even if they think it is not live, and call 911 immediately. The storm may affect power to traffic signals, so remember to treat them as four-way stops.

Crews continue daily operations throughout SCE’s 50,000-square-mile service territory. “Our crews are at the ready and prepared for this weekend’s storm and any additional repair outages that may occur,” said Jim Cherrie, SCE director of Grid Operations.

SCE customers can report outages at 1-800-611-1911 and get the latest information from the SCE outage app at on.sce.com/staysafe

Other safety tips include:

  • Make sure you have a battery-operated radio and flashlights. Check the batteries to make sure they’re fresh. Use flashlights for lighting during a power outage. Do not use candles because they pose a significant fire hazard.
  • If you use a space heater, plug it directly into an outlet; don’t use an extension cord and remember to unplug it when not in use. It should be placed at least three feet away from curtains, furniture, rugs and anything combustible.
  • If you use a generator, place it outdoors and plug individual appliances directly into it, using heavy-duty extension cords. Connecting generators directly to household circuits creates “backfeed,” which is dangerous to repair crews.